“What makes climate change difficult is that it is not an instantaneous, catastrophic event,” Obama said. “It’s a slow-moving issue that, on a day-to-day basis, people don’t experience and don’t see.”

Obama visited the remote Midway Atoll last week as part of a push for more environmental protections. He also announced $40 million in programs to help island nations and other communities vulnerable to climate change.

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Obama tours&nbsp;Midway Atoll on Sept.&nbsp;1, 2016. The coral reef&nbsp;is one of the most remote&nbsp;places on the planet.

Obama has repeatedly warned against the harmful effects of climate change, saying it is a threat to the U.S. military and national security. In a 2015 speech, Obama repeatedly said “we’re not moving fast enough” to combat the damage caused by a warming climate, warning that “we will condemn our children to a planet beyond their capacity to repair.”